1-1 By: Gutierrez (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) H.B. No. 2531
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 1997;
1-3 April 29, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Jurisprudence; May 13, 1997, reported favorably by the following
1-5 vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 13, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the civil liability of certain persons for a child's
1-9 conduct.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Section 41.002, Family Code, is amended to read
1-12 as follows:
1-13 Sec. 41.002. LIMIT OF DAMAGES. Recovery for damage caused by
1-14 wilful and malicious conduct is limited to actual damages, not to
1-15 exceed $25,000 [$15,000] per occurrence, plus court costs and
1-16 reasonable attorney's fees.
1-17 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and
1-18 applies only to a cause of action that accrues on or after that
1-19 date. A cause of action that accrued before the effective date of
1-20 this Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the cause of
1-21 action accrued, and that law is continued in effect for that
1-22 purpose.
1-23 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-24 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-25 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-26 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-27 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-28 * * * * *